Tens-transfer device



Nov. 7, 1950 F. O. RAST TENS-TRANSFER DEVICE Original Filed A ril 15, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VEN TOR. Feae/ ck Q fastww/awf Nov. 7, 1950 F. R s'r 2,528,781

TENS-TRANSFER DEVICE Original Filed April 15, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 2/2 c INVENTOR Feder/cK Q. Eda

BY V v @ZM Mf/QM ATTOR Nov. 7, 1950 F. RAST 2,528,781

TENS-TRANSFER DEVICE Original Filed April 15, 1944 '7 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3.

INVENTOR Frederic/r Q. Past BY w wm Noy. 7, 1950 F. Q. RAST 2,528,781

TENS-TRANSFER DEVICE Original Filed April 15, 1944 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Flqfl. 328 325 Z92 Z9! 3/ 327 326 273 272 27/ 3 55/ u 288 Z 74-. 257-- 256 ZZ7- L INVENTOR x. mum mww EN W 1 d s w RP Wm e m@ R 8 .m N m 2 S E/K T 5 V C A i w m./ 2 w a 7 r F m u m m A m 3m s Q m r. WNW m M 9 l s 1 l i r 1...; 0 M. a m 1 n 7, m w v .v mm a n N o Nov. 7, 1950 F. Q. RAST TENS-TRANSFER DEVICE '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Original Filed April 15, 1944 INVENTOR NOV. 7, 1950 s I 2,528,781

TENS-TRANSFER DEVICE Original Filed April 15, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 28/ 282 V & 6/

' 2f 9 Z75 Z87 256 INVENTOR 2 7 Frederick 62 Ezsi" ATTORN Y Patented Nov. 7, 1950 TENS IRANSFER DEVICE Frederick Q. East, Chicago, 111., assignor to Commercial Controls Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Original application April 15, 1944, Serial No. 531,232. Divided and this application February 24, 1945, Serial No. 579,550

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to registering mechanism and more particularly. to a re ister for use in connection with the meter of a mail treating machine or the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide registering mechanism which is simple, thoroughly practical, and durable in use. Another object is to provide registering mechanism which is efiicient and accurate in operation. Another object is to provide mechanism of the above character which may be manufactured from inexpensive materials without undue labor costs. Another object is to provide registering mechanism which will be strong and well able to withstand the strains of hard usage. Another object is to provide registering mechanism having a minimum of parts. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. I r

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts, all as will be illustratively described herein, and the scope of the application which will be indicated in the following claims. a

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a meter hav-' ing my registering mechanism included therein as-a part of its mechanism; a

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the meter Wit the housing removed, certain portions of the meter bein broken away for purposes of clarification;

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4-is a side elevation taken on the line, 44 of Figure 3 showin the ascending and descendin registers;

Figure 5 is a side view on an enlarged scale of one of the meter registers partly in. section and partly in elevation for purposes of clarification; 7

Figure. 6 is an exploded perspective view of one of the register indicator wheels and parts associated therewith;

Figure '7 is a .vertical section taken on the line 'I-I of Figure 5; v

Figure 7a is a vertical section taken along the line 'Ia'la of Figure 7 ister indicator wheels; a

Figure 9 is a section taken on a-line similar to line 9-9 of Figure? through one of the reg-,

ister indicator wheels and parts associated therewith; and,

Figure 10 is a side elevation of one of the re ister indicator wheels partly in section to show the mounting of the differential pinions thereon Serial No. 531,232, now Patent No. 2,482,935, and

which was filed on April 15, 1944.

The registering mechanism described hereinafter is shown in use as a part of the meter of a metered mailing machine and in this use it keeps an accurate record of the sum printed at any digit between one and nine.

, Figure 8 is a side elevation of one of the reg by such a meter. The meter, generally indicated at II (Figure 1), has a series of setting knobs I,

8, 9, and ID by which each of the type Wheels 2I2c, 2I2b, 2I2, and 2I2a (Figure 2) may be set The type wheels are mounted on a head shaft I09, which makes a complete revolution during each printing cycle, and coact with a platen (not shown) to print the sum at which they are set on an envelope or tape.

At the same timethat the type Wheels are set, other mechanism in the meter is conditioned so that during the cyclical operation of head shaft I I19, the sum bein printed by the type wheels is registered on ascending and dc.-

scending registers I5 and I4. The housing of meter II (Figure 1) is provided with windows 295 and 32 through which the amount recorded on each register may be read. To set the type wheels and to register the sums being printed by them during a cyclical operation, there is a complete and separate train of mechanism (Figure 3) for each setting knob which leads from each setting knob to its type wheel and also to its indicator wheel. For example, the units setting knob I has a train of mechanism leading to the unit indicator wheel 214 (Figure 5) a series of settable teeth mounted on and rotatable With head shaft I 09. These teeth are moved into operative position at the same time that the type wheels are bein set and correspond to the number set on a type Wheel. Thus, for example, if the number 9 is set on a type Wheel, nine teeth are moved into operative position or if the number 6 is set on a type wheel, then six Each of the transfer pinions 258, 25!, 22!, and 252 has a spur gear connected to its'hub.

All of these gears are similar to transfer pinion Each transfer pinion haseight'teeth and thus each Geneva tooth moves its transfer pinion a distance of two teeth or one-quarter of a revolution as it moves past its transfer pinion during a cyclical operation. Each unit of one in the number being printed by a type wheel in a train of mechanism is represented by one tooth, and thus during a cyclical operation the transfer pinions each make one-quarter of .a revolution for each unit in the number set on their type wheel. As each of the transfer, pinion spur gears has -twenty teethreach spur gear isv moved a distanceof five teethfor each unit inthe number being printed.

Each of the spur gears 253,254,225, and 255 mesh with and drive idler gears 256, 251, 226, and 258 (Figures 2 and 3) respectively. Each of idler gears256, 251, 226, and 258 feed int the indicator wheels associated with its train of mechanism. Thus, for example, if the number is set on the dollars type wheel 2|2, then five teeth I 53are moved into operative position. Then when the head shaftv makes its revolution to printthe number set, the teeth 153 turn trans-.

fer pinion 22! one and one-quarter revolutions, and the transfer pinion acting through its spur gear 225 feeds twenty-five teeth intoidler ear Referring now to the registers i 4 and [5 which accurately and efficiently register the sum printed by the type wheels, details of construction will 'be limited to register l4 (Figures 3 and 4) asregisters l4 and i5 are substantially'similar in construction.

As is best shown in Figure 5, each of idler gears 256, 251, 226, and 258 feeds into a register assembly including a pair of sun gears and an indicator wheel having two differential pinions mounted thereon. The units idler gear 256 feeds into the indicator wheel assembly, generally indicated at 210, the tens idler gear 251 feeds into the indicator wheel assembly, generally indicated at 21!, the dollars idler gear 226 feeds into the indicator wheel assembly'212, and thetens of dollars idler gear 258" feeds into the indicator wheel'assembly, generally indicated at 213.

Referring first toindicator wheel assembly 210, the indicator wheel 214 (Figure 9) is rotatably mounted on a bushing 215 mounted onthe register shaft-290. Indicator wheel-"214 has two sun gear bores 216 and 211 out into the opposite sides thereof concentric to the axis of rotation of the indicator wheel. These bores are made to receive two sun gears 218'and 219 (Figures 6 and 9) which are rotatably mounted on bushing 215 on opposite sides of indicator wheel 214. Sun gear 218, which has twenty teeth, has a gear- 280' mounted on and connected to its hub and this gear is connected to the framework of the meter so that both gears are held stationary at all times. The sun'gear 219, which has twenty teeth, has a spur gear28! mounted on and connected to its hub. This gear has twenty-five teeth.

Indicator wheel 214 has'two other'bores 282 em of indicator wheel 214.

and 283 (Figure 8) extending into the body of the indicator wheel from opposite sides thereof. These bores 282 and 283 are in overlapping relationship with respect to each other and bore 282 overlaps sun gear bore 211 and bore 283 overlaps sungear bore 216. Differential pinions 284 and 285 are rotatably mounted on pins 286 and 281 (Figure 10) mounted on the indicator wheel 214. When sun gears 218 and 219 and the indicator wheel 214 are in assembled relationship,

the differential pinions 284 and 285, which mesh at the point bores 282 and 283 (Figure 8) overlap, mesh with sun gears 218 and 219 (Figures 6 and 10) respectively. Thus, when sun gear 219 is turned by idler gear 256 acting through gear 281, indicator wheel214, which in fact is a planetary supportJfOrthe differential pinions, is rotated .as pinion 284 runs on stationary sun gear 218.

As describedhereinabove, idler gear 256 (Figure 5) is turned'a distance of. five teeth for each unit of one in the numberbeing printed. As.

gear 256meshes with gear 28l which has twenty' five teeth and the sun gear 219 connected to gear' Referring to Figure 5, a transfer pinion shaft 288-has a series of standard Geneva transfer pinions, generally indicated at 289, 29!, andv 292 rotatably mounted thereon which 'carryover tens from each indicator wheel to the next higher one. and '7) of'transfer pinion 289 slide on the'periph- A pair of Geneva carry-over teeth are mounted on the right-hand side of indicator wheel 214 as viewed in Figures'5 and 9 and these teeth are in radial alignment (Figure 5) Withthe short teeth 28% of theGeneva transfer pinion.

Referring to Figure 3, Geneva transfer pinion 22I is driven in a clockwise direction by assembly I46. This drives idler gear 226 in a counterclockwise direction. Idler gear 256 is driven in the same direction as gear 226 and in turn drives indicator wheel 214 in a counterclockwise direc tion, as viewed in Figure 9, acting through gears 28l, 2H, and pinions'285 and 284.

As the indicated figure in the window 295 in housing ll (Figures 1 and '7) passes from zero to nine, the leading tooth 294a of Geneva teeth 294 strikes a short tooth of transfer pinion 289. This turns the transfer pinion a distance of two teeth, the long tooth on the transfer pinion entering a notch 296 (Figures 8 and 9) in the periphery of indicator wheel 214 and entering the space between Geneva teeth 294.

Geneva pinion 289 is turned in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Figure 7, when a carryover is effected by Geneva teeth 294, and a'spur gear 300 (Figures 5 and '7) mounted on' and connected to the hub oftransferjpinion 289 turns ion which has eight teeth isturned two teeth.

or one-quarter of a revolution by a carry-over.

Spur gear 300 meshes with and drivesagear.

30! mounted on and connected to the .hub ofa sun gear 302 of indicator wheel assembly 21L,v

Sun gear 302 and spur gear 300 are rotatably The long or sliding teeth 289a (Figures 5 auaa'zer I mounted on a bushing similar tobushing 215 (Figure 9) on shaft 290 and the remainder of assembly 2H is similar in construction to as sembly 210.

In operation, units may be fed into both spur gears 28! and 304 at the same time through idler gears 256 and 251. This drives the sun gears 219 and 303 and if a carry-over is not taking place, both sun gears 218 and 302 are held stationary, sun gear 218 being held by mechanical means on the meter and sun gear 302 is held stationary by its association with transfer pinion 289 through spur gears 30 I and 300. When a carry-over takes place, then spur gear 300 drives spur gear 30! a total of five teeth. As sun gear 302 has twenty teeth, it is moved a distance of four teeth. If at this time units are being fed into this indicator wheel assembly by idler gear 251 then sun gear 303 is also turned a distance of four teeth in the same direction. At this time because both sun gears are turned together the indicator wheel 2" is moved a distance of four teeth thus registering the carryover from the units wheel at the same time it is registering the unit being fed into it by idler gear 251.

If idler gear 251 is not feeding units into the indicator wheel assembly 21!, then sun gear 303 is held stationary by idler gear 251. Accordingly, when there is a carry-over from the units indicator wheel then spur gear 30! is moved a distance of five teeth, sun gear 302 having twenty teeth moves a distance of four teeth and the differential then coacts with the stationary sun gear 303 to move the indicator wheel two teeth or one digit. Thus a carry-over may be readily made at any time during the operation of the register.

The operation of indicator wheel assemblies 212 and 213 is the same as the operation of indicator wheel assemblies 210 and 21!. Tens are carried over from assembly 21l to assembly 212 by Geneva transfer pinion 2!" and tens are carried from assembly 212 to assembly 213 by Geneva transfer pinion 292. In this register units may be fed into all four assemblies at the same time and carry-overs are made from one assembly to another whenever they occur.

The transfer pinion 325 actuated by assembly 213 feeds into a standard indicator wheel 326. This wheel carries over tens accumulated by it to another standard indicator wheel 321 through a transfer pinion 320. Any number of wheels may be added to the register, the total depending on the largest accumulated total that is desired. Furthermore, the indicator wheel assemblies may consist of any number above a pair, the limit being determined only by the number of banks feeding into the register.

The descending and ascending registers l4 and I (Figure 3) are of similar construction, the indicator wheel idler gears 256, 251, 226, and 258 (Figure 4) driving spur gears in aligned indicator wheel assemblies in both registers at the same time and in the same direction. The only difference between the ascending and descending registers l5 and I4 is that the digits on their indicator wheels run in opposite directions.

A zero look (not shown) of any well known type may be used in conjunction with register H to lock the meter when this register reaches zero setting. Thus the register may be loaded with a certain sum by a post offlce clerk and when this sum is exhausted the zero lock is actuated to prevent further use of the meter. To

set register" l4, the transfer pinion shaft 288 which is mounted on a pair of arms 350 and 35| (Figures 3 and 4) is raised. Arms 350 and 35l are pivotally mounted at their inner ends to the front and rear Walls 2| and 18 of the frame-' work thus permitting shaft 288 to be raised.

Raising shaft 288 moves the transfer pinions and their associated spur gears thereon out of meshing engagement with the indicator wheel assembly spur gears. At this time the indicator wheels may be set at any desired sum. Thus it is very easy for a post OlTlCe clerk to reset the meter through door 355 (Figure 1).

The register described hereinabove is so constructed that it may be used in a variety of different types of mechanism to accurately and efficiently register sums and thus its use is not limited to a metered mailing machine. From the above description, it will become clear that an eflicient and practical register is disclosed. Furthermore, carry-overs may be made in this register while units are being fed into the indicator wheel assembly to which the carry-over is being made. both registers any sum and carries over the tens accumulated as the sum is being registered.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention all without departing from the scope of the invention it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. An indicator register comprising, in combination, a shaft, an assembly on said shaft comprising an indicator wheel, a pair of planetary gears and a pair of sun gears, said indicator wheel being rotatably mounted on said shaft, said planetary gears being in mesh and rotatably mounted on said wheel and said sun gears meshing respectively with said planetary gears, a second assembly similar to the first mounted on said shaft, each of said indicator wheels having digits from 0 to 9 thereon, means for driving one sun gear of each assembly, a transfer gear for driving the second sun gear of the second assembly, and Geneva drive means between the indicator wheel of said first assembly and said transfer gear for imparting partial rotation to said transfer gear and accordingly to the second sun gear of the second assembly upon completion of one rotation of the indicator wheel of said first assembly, whereby the indicator wheel of the second assembly rotates at a higher rate of speed when both sun gears of the second assembly are driven simultaneously than when only one of the sun gears of the second assembly is driven.

2. An indicating register comprising, in combination, a shaft, a units wheel and a tens wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, gear means for feeding units into said units wheel, transfer gear means between said wheels for carrying over a ten unit to said tens wheel when said unit wheel completes one revolution, said tens wheel having associated therewith a pair of gears rotatably mounted on said shaft, one of said gears meshing with said transfer gear means, input gear means for driving the other of said gears, and meshing planetary gears rotatably mounted on said tens wheel and meshing with said first mentioned gears whereby said tens wheel may be driven by the carry-over drive of the transfer gear means, by said last-mentioned input gear means, or by both carry-over drive of the trans- Thus a register is disclosed which &28578 fer gear meansand said last-mentioned input,

gear means;

3. Anindicating register comprising, incombination, a shaft, a units wheel and a tens wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, a pair of differential gears rotatably mounted on said tens wheel in meshing engagement with respect to each other, transfer gear means for carrying over astens unit to said tens wheel from said units wheel for each revolution of said units wheel, gean-means mounted on said shaft meshing with said;; transfer gear means and one of said differential gears, and gear means mounted on-said shaft and meshing with the other of said differential gears, said last-mentioned gear means being-the input gear means for said tens wheel, whereby said tens wheel may be driven independent-1y of or simultaneously with the carry-over drive of the transfer gear means.

4. An indicating register comprising, incombination, .a shaft, a units Wheel and a tens-wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, a pair ofgmeshingdifferential gears mountedon said tens wheel, a pair-of sun gears mounted on said shaft, input gear; means operatively connected to one of said sun gears, said 1astmentioned sun gear meshing with-one ofsaiddiiferential pinions, transfer gear means actuated by said units wheel, a gear mounted on said shaft meshing with said transfer gear means, said last-mentioned gear being connected :to the; other of said sun gears, saidlastmentioned sun gear meshing with the other of said differential pinions, and means for feeding units intosaid units Wheel.

. indicating register comprising, incombination,,a shaft, a units indicator wheel and a tensindicator wheel rotatably mounted on-said shaft,-a pair of meshing differential pinions ro tatably mounted on said tens wheel, said'difierential pinions being offset axially with respect to-each other, a pair of sun gears mounted on said shaft on opposit sides of said tens wheel, saidsun-gears each meshing with the offset portionof one of said pinions, gear means for feeding units into said units Wheel, transfer gear means actuated by said units wheel saidlastmentioned gear means actuating one of said sun gears and tens input gear means'actuating the other ofrsaid sungears whereby said tens *WhQGl may bedriven by said transfer gearmeans, said tens wheel input gear means, or by bothsaid transfer gear means-and said tens .wheel input gear means simultaneously.

6. An indicating register comprising, in combination, a shaft, aunits indicator wheel and a tens indicator wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft, a pair of meshing differential pinions rotatably mounted onv said units wheel, a pair-of sungears each engaging one of said-differential transfer gear meansactuated by said units wheel pinions, means preventing one of saidlsun -gears from,.r.0tating,with respect tosaid shaft, input gear means. for drivingthe; other of said sun gears and thussaid units-wheelthrough said differential; pinions transfer gear; means actuated each input geanmeans actuating the other of, said tens wheel sun gears-whereby said tens wheel may be actuated by said transfer-gear means,.-by said tens wheel input gear means, or by-both said transfer gear'means and input gear means acting simultaneously;

'1'.-An indicator register comprising, in combi-;

nation, ashaft, a units indicator wheel and-a tens indicator wheel rotatably mounted on said shaft-,gear means forfeedingunits into said=units wheel, a'pair of meshing differential pinions-rotatably mounted; onisaid tens wheel, a pair of sun, gearseachhaving thesame number of teeth. rotatably mountedon said shaft, each of saidsun gears meshing with one of said diiierential pinions, a pair of spurgearseach connected to one of said sun gears, said spur gears. each having the same number of teeth,- tens wheel input gear means'for driving one of said spur gears, and

for carrying-over accumulated tens from said units Wheel ,to said tens. wheel, saidtransfer gear meansme shing -with and driving the other of said spur -=gearsand-thus the: sun gear connected thereto, the-degree of: rotation imparted to said.

transfer gear means, by said-tens 'Wheel input gear means, or by-bothqsaid transfer: gear means.

and input gear;;mean s acting simultaneously;

-,; FREDERICK Q. RAST.

anrna incns errnn The followings references are of record inthe file of this patent: I UNITED STATES, PATENTS, Number v V I Name I Date 484,814 Osborn-- j Oct. 25, 1892 503 ,9(16 I Cook -i Aug; 29, 1893 1,469,932 Adams -Oct. 9,.1923 1,693,279 Kreider Nov; 27, 1928 FoRm N PATENTS Number Country Date 1 Austria mega-1925 

